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policy and advocacy
Headlines of the Week
- Artist-Museum Partnership Act Gains 18 Cosponsors
05-07-2012: Since National Arts Advocacy Day on April 16-17, a key piece of arts legislation has seen an increase in cosponsors. The bipartisan Artist-Museum Partnership Act, which would allow artists to take a fair-market value deduction for their donated works, now has a total of 33 cosponsors. This total has increased since Arts Advocacy Day, where this legislation was included in the action items grassroots advocates asked their members of Congress to sponsor.
- Americans for the Arts Provides Testimony to Senate Appropriations Subcommittee
04-30-2012: Americans for the Arts has submitted testimony to the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee chaired by Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI) and Ranking Member Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) as part of the annual funding process. Read the full testimony.
- Sen. Tom Harkin Releases Arts and Arts Education Statment on Senate Floor
04-23-2012: In honor of Arts Advocacy Day on April 17, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) delivered a statement in support of the arts and arts education on the floor of the U.S. Senate. Read the full statement here.
- National Arts Advocacy Day on Tuesday
04-16-2012: National Arts Advocacy Day is April 17, 2012 in Washington, DC. Hundreds of grassroots advocates from across the country will come together in support of the arts and arts education. Ovation CEO Charles Segars and actor Hill Harper are honorary co-chairs of the event. If you are not able to attend, you can follow the action at #AAD12 on Twitter.
- Secretary Arne Duncan to Appear Before U.S. House Education Committee this Week
03-26-2012: Education Secretary Arne Duncan is scheduled to appear before the U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee on March 28. We expect that he will discuss issues realted to well-rounded education that could include arts education. Watch the live webcast here.
- NEA Appropriations Cycle Begins with Americans for the Arts Witness
03-19-2012: With the release of President Obama's budget this past February, the House of Representatives is set to officially start the FY 2013 appropriations process in earnest. Congressional hearings in the 13 separate subcommittees will pack the legislative agenda for much of March with an eye toward marking-up initial spending proposals in late April after a planned congressional recess. On March 22, Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert L. Lynch and award-winning actor Stanley Tucci will both testify at a public witness hearing before the House Appropriations Interior Subcommittee in support of the National Endowment for the Arts increase and on behalf of federal cultural funding.
- Congressional Arts Caucus Gains New Members
03-05-2012: The Congressional Arts Caucus has added two new members bringing its current total to 186. New members are Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Tim Griffin (R-AR). See the full list of members here.
- Arts Education Raised in House Education Committee Hearing
02-20-2012: A hearing on legislation to reauthorize the Elementary & Secondary Education Act included significant discussion on arts education due to one of the witnesses being a Colorado arts teacher. Following outreach by Americans for the Arts, Congressional Arts Caucus co-chair Todd Platts, caucus member Rep. Bobby Scott, and Rep. Ruben Hinojosa all raised arts learning as important to the underlying K-12 issues being considered by the committee. Colorado Springs arts teacher Felicia Kazmier spoke about the need for more funding and accountability in supporting arts education. For further information please contact Senior Director of Federal Affairs & Arts Education Narric Rome at nrome@artsusa.org
- President's Budget Request Boosts NEA Funding for FY 2013
02-13-2012: The Obama administration released its federal budget blueprint for FY 2013 with an $8 million increase in funds for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). This proposal would bring the NEA’s funding to $154 million compared to last year’s appropriation of $146 million. For more information, read Americans for the Arts CEO Robert L. Lynch’s statement here.
- House Transportation Committee Approves Bill Weakening Public Art Funding
02-06-2012: The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed a bill last week that could weaken funding for public art. In this new legislation, items such as the establishment of transportation museums, historic preservation, and rehabilitation of historic transportation buildings are no longer eligible for funding in the Transportation Enhancements (TE) section of the bill. Also, the committee repealed the 10 percent set aside for the TE program, which means that those funds are no longer explicitly available for these activities. This bill will now be brought to the House floor, so contact your members of Congress now!
- House Transportation Committee Threatens Funding for Public Art and Museums
01-30-2012: On February 2, the U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is scheduled to consider legislation that could end federal support for public art projects through the Transportation Enhancements program. Find more information about the program here. Please write you member of Congress today to convey the message that the Transportation Enhancements program should continue supporting public art and museums!
- Americans for the Arts' President and CEO Robert Lynch Appointed to U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board
01-23-2012: U.S. Secretary of Commerce John Bryson has appointed Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert L. Lynch to a two-year term on the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board. Bryson stated, Lynch’s “experience in the travel and tourism industry will be an important resource to me as well as to the Board in advising me on ways to strengthen the industry, expand economic opportunities for American businesses, and create jobs.” Read the press release here.
- Draft House Education Legislation Seeks to End Arts Education Program
01-16-2012: Rep. John Kline (R-MN), chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Education has introduced long-awaited legislation to reauthorize the Elementary & Secondary Education Act (also recognized as the No Child Left Behind Act). While the legislation maintains the arts as a core academic subject, it also would terminate the federal Arts in Education program which has been in place for the last 10 years. Bipartisan Senate committee legislation was approved in October 2011, however this House legislation does not have bipartisan support, which is expected to delay consideration of the bill for the immediate future. For more information, please contact Senior Director of Federal Affairs & Arts Education Narric Rome at nrome@artsusa.org
- Unfinished Tax Business Includes IRA Charitable Rollover
01-09-2012: A package of charitable giving incentives, which includes the IRA Charitable Rollover, expired at the end of 2011 with Congress failing to extend them. Legislators hope to wrap up this unfinished tax business before April 15. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) released a statement vowing "to find a bipartisan path forward" for these tax extenders, adding that "it is critical to extend these tax provisions early in the year to maximize their effect and provide certainty for the 2012 tax year."
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